ASTR 1210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Chichen Itza, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Heel Stone

• School: University of Virginia
• Department: Astronomy
• Course: ASTR 1210
• Professor: Murphy Edward

Document Summary

Large sarsen stones were in place by 2400 to 2100 bce. The heel stone was used to mark sunrise on the summer solstice. Stonehenge is essentially a giant solar calendar. Chichen itza was a major mayan city on the yucatan peninsula of mexico. Although it was settled as early as 600 ce, the major buildings were put in place around 1000 ce. Both el castillo and el caracol have astronomical alignments. A temple (pyramid of kulkulcan -- mayan god) and an observatory. Chaco canyon is one of the largest collections of pueblos in the u. s. It was a major ceremony and commerce center between 850 bce and 1250 ce. Developed by pythagoras, plato, eudoxus, and others. Universe is a series of concentric spheres centered on the unmoving earth. Each sphere carried one of the planets, moon, or sun. The motions of the spheres create the motions of the planets as seen from. The earth, moon, and sun are spherical.